The True History of the Potter Family
by erinpotter14
Summary: After James Potter realizes the danger his family is in he decides to do whatever it takes to help his son survive. Now he only hopes his son won't hate him.
1. Chapter 1: To Endure a War

There was smoke and fire everywhere. Hot, stifling, and stinking of dead, burning bodies. There was nothing more pungent than the smell of burning flesh. You would think after all these years of fighting he would be indifferent to the smell but it still bothered him. Maybe because he knew it was the smell of his friends or his family burning. That after he finished here he would have to go home and take a head count to see who they had lost today. There was always a loss…

As James Potter looked around him he realized that this is what he joined the Aurors for and why he fought with the Order of the Phoenix. So that hopefully one day his son wouldn't have to endure seeing his world crash down around him. As he surveyed the damage around him one last time, James realized that his Lily Flower was lucky to escape with only minor injuries today. They had battled the dark lord for the third time today and they had managed to survive. Along with Frank and Alice Longbottom they were able to hold him off while the families that had been hiding here escaped. The order had sustained losses but at least the Muggleborn families were safe. As he turned to apparate James Potter hoped that this war ended soon.

Lily Potter simply stared at the healer with a horrified look on her face.

"What do you mean I'm pregnant?" she sputtered.

"I mean Mrs. Potter that you are going to be welcoming a son towards the end of summer. Without a more thorough fetal checkup I couldn't tell you the exact day unless you can recount your periods for me?" the healer answered for the third time.

"My periods? Are you crazy? We are in the middle of a war. I'm an Unspeakable for Merlin's sake. Of course I don't know my last period. I haven't had one since I joined the… well since the fighting really started. I thought it was stress and the strain on my body" Lily explained.

"That is perfectly normal Mrs. Potter. Most women would be in the same situation as you right now. In fact your friend that came in with you… a Mrs. Longbottom… she might be able to help you cope right now. Would you like me to get her for you?" the Healer asked kindly, easily sensing that this was not the time to bring up the numerous plans that would need to be made in preparation for the little one on the way.

At Lily's nod the Healer scurried out to collect the young woman's friend. As soon as Alice came into the room both women clung to each other and cried. They cried for joy and yet they cried mostly in fear and deep sadness at the thought of bringing young, innocent lives into a hate fueled war. For Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom knew, as much as their husbands thought the war would be over soon, the hate that had started the war would continue for many years. Not every enemy they were fighting was looking to fight with hexes and curses. Most of them, those with the name Malfoy and Black, liked to use their words and money to put their heinous beliefs into law. But this was not the most prevalent thought running through the women's minds. Mrs. Longbottom and Mrs. Potter were both wondering how in the world they were going to inform their husbands of their impending fatherhood.

Lily Potter always liked to look back on the last few months and think about how far they had come. She laughed when she thought about James' face at the announcement of their little boys impending arrival. The shock on his face had quickly changed to delight but it was definitely a close call for the healer that was prepared to cast a Cushioning Charm in case he fainted. But he powered through it and Lily had a surprise herself when she realized that Alice was making the same announcement to her husband. No wonder Alice had been so supportive!

But that was almost seven months ago and the women were both due any day now. Although the general consensus was that Alice was going to go first. Their boy Neville was much bigger than Hadrian. At that thought Lily rolled her eyes. Even though the Potter family had come along way from most traditions as far as the Pureblood Supremacists were concerned there were some traditions that were not going anywhere. Such as the naming of heirs. But she would get her "Muggle" traditions such as they were in there too. Harry would be his name one way or another. Lily just smiled and continued to rock and direct her wand at the yarn shaping it into a pair of knitted booties. Her progress stopped when she heard and owl tapping on the window and she painstakingly pushed herself out of the chair, cursing whoever had sent the owl. The curse changed to a happy squeal when she realized that it was from Frank and it was a missive to let her know that Alice had given birth that afternoon.

Neville was healthy and both mother and son were doing well. They should be ready to go home tomorrow afternoon! Lily only hoped that her Harry came soon. She wasn't sure she could make it through much more of this heat not to mention the back pain she had been having the last couple of hours. Maybe she should just go take a short nap and see if that helped ease the pains.

Another grueling contraction coursed through Lily and she again cursed the day she had allowed James Potter to touch her. The healer telling her it was okay to push really wasn't helping matters either. But she powered through bolstered by the thought that soon her son would be here. With this happy thought giving her strength she didn't know she possessed she pushed again only to feel the pressure ease and a loud wail filling the room. The healer quickly cleaned baby Hadrian before handing him to his mother for the first time. Lily didn't know how to feel. A part of her was in shock, almost unable to comprehend the fact that she had actually had a child. Another part was so overcome with this sudden burst of love all she could do was cry. And looking down at her son and then back to her husband, who was also crying, Lily realized that no matter what happened in this war as long as she had her boys everything would be okay.

Little Harry toddled around the sitting room looking up at the adults. Lily and James could not be prouder of their little man. He was walking rather well considering it had only been about two weeks since he figured it out. Neville was trying to copy him and looked like it might happen any time now. Both boys were progressing nicely and if you had looked in on this group of friends or family really you wouldn't know that their lives were going to be changed forever with the arrival of an elderly wizard they all knew well.

James answered the door and welcomed the headmaster inside, "Dumbledore! What brings you to Godric's Hollow?" The older wizard simply shook his head and swept into the living room and greeted the group. All without his signature twinkle in his eye.

"James, Lily, Frank, and Alice I'm sorry to say that I have come across a rather disturbing piece of news. Apparently Voldemort has put a hit out on you all. This includes your sons. Our only theory is that he seeks to completely eliminate the Potter and Longbottom lines," the old wizard informed the family.

"You have no theories at all as to why he would do this now?" questioned Alice.

"Unfortunately, my spy within his ranks isn't high enough in the organization to know the exact reasons. Just be glad that we got this information before it was too late," Dumbledore responded gravely.

"What do we do James?" Lily asked quietly.

"We can go the Manor. I had it repaired after the accident. But its completely up to you," James replied.

"I think we need to sit down and think about it. If we move now we lose the home we have here. Let us talk about it tonight and go from there," Lily responded and turned to the headmaster, "Was there anything else Dumbledore?"

"I only wanted to invite you all to a meeting next week I am having with a few people to talk about some things we can do to protect ourselves in these troubling times. Please owl me if you are going to be able to make it and I will give you the location," Dumbledore informed them all and then took his leave.

"Maybe we should go home as well, Ali," Frank said, "The boys both need to be put to bed soon and we all… well we need to figure out what we are going to do".

"Yes- James, Lily thank you for having us over. I'm sorry that it didn't end better," Alice mumbled softly as she packed away Neville's scattered belongings.

"We will owl you all in a few days. I think that we need to all discuss some things just in case you know?" Lily told them as the family walked to the door.

"Yes, I agree. Given that we are all being targeted then I think that we should definitely have a plan," Frank agreed while Alice nodded over his shoulder. With that tentative plan in place the family left.

Lily immediately went and picked up Harry. James followed her and watched as his wife held their son and wept.

"We will go to the manor tonight. Even if we don't stay permanently I will feel safer with the goblin wards that are already in place," James told his wife.

Lily sniffled and tried to pull herself together. She needed to be strong for James and Harry.

"The manor for the night sounds amazing. I bet that's where Frank and Alice are going tonight despite Lady Longbottom being in residence still," Lily said through her hiccups.

With that James gathered Harry and his wife into his arms and apparated to the foyer of his families ancestral home.

"Master is home?" a squeaky voice echoed around.

"Milly?" James called.

"Milly is here Master James," the squeaky voice came this time from a small house-elf clad in a pale pink lace eyelet dress.

"Milly please prepare our rooms. Then send one of the young elves to the cottage in Godric's Hollow to gather some clothes for us. After that please lock down the manor. We are officially going into safe mode, " James ordered.

"Yes, Master James. Right away Master James," the elf squeaked out and popped away to do her master's bidding.

As James and Lily slowly wound their way through the halls and up the main staircase of the large manor home they were both silently thinking of how to keep their little family safe. They stopped outside the nursery door and were surprised to see an exact replica of the nursery that they had at the cottage. Shaking his head at his family's house elf staff and their desire to please they put little Harry to bed. He snuggled down into his crib and James and Lily both just watched him sleep for a few moments.

"What are we going to do James?" Lily whispered.

"I think it is time to enact some of the more archaic Potter traditions," James replied quietly so as to not wake his son.

Lily turned and looked at him carefully, "Are you sure James? You know what this means… if anything were to happen to us… or even worse if we do this and nothing comes from it… we are talking about your son's future."

"Lily all I have been thinking about is how to make the best of any given situation. If I do this at the best he will have us to help him. If we aren't here this gives him protection," James replied. At this he took his wife's hand and led her out of their room. Milly was waiting in the hall and simply nodded at her master. James nodded back and proceeded to take his wife to bed.

Lily was almost in shock as she went through the motions of getting into bed. Being Muggleborn she never really understood the pureblooded society. Thankfully the Potters were very tolerant. But despite their tolerance Lily was the first Muggleborn in the family. James' parents had welcomed her with open arms. Dorea had been a godsend when it came to learning everything she had needed to know upon marrying into a truly Ancient and Noble family. Especially when it came to the history and traditions of the Potter family. And that's why Lily knew that what James was suggesting was risky. While it would ensure their son's continued protection if they were not around she worried it would alienate him if this threat ended up being unfounded.

The silence was deafening and finally James couldn't stand it. He rolled over and gathered his wife into his arms.

"Lily Flower I know you don't like this but its time. For too long I have been reluctant to put a price on our heads and utilize the political power of my family. That combined with my parent's accident made it easy for me to ignore my duties. The Potters have always had a lot of respect. As a First Family we made a promise and with that promise came protection. I am only intending to utilize that for our son. Can you really blame me?" he asked.

"No, I suppose not. You just have to remember that while your mother and Lady Longbottom did an amazing job with teaching me all these things I did grow up on the muggle side of things. The plans you have made would have been not only frowned upon, but also illegal in muggle society. I agree with you and I will do my part. But tonight I don't want to think about it. I want to fall asleep in my husbands arms and not be afraid," Lily responded effectively ending the conversation. While the husband and wife finally drifted into sleep, the house elf named Milly stepped from the shadows. While normally elves did not listen to their master's private conversations the elf was concerned when Master James ordered the house into safe mode. Milly silently snapped her fingers and appeared in the young master's room. He was sleeping but she could just reach his forehead with her finger and as she did so a beautiful soft green glow encompassed the child.

"Young master must be safe. Milly wills protects you with all Milly's powers. Sleep little master while the elves stand guard," Milly whispered until the glow faded. With that she popped of to the kitchen to give final orders to the night staff before she popped to bed herself. The old ways always took a lot out of her. She couldn't remember the name of the last matriarch in her line to have invoked the special protection for a young one but she knew the previous protected one had grown up to be a great man. Powerful, strong, and a natural born leader Ignotus had surprised everyone. The third boy who had stood to inherit nothing ended up being the only one to live. But as the old house elf drifted off to sleep she remembered the special cloak that sat in the family safe. Maybe she should get that out and give it to Master James… oh well it could wait until tomorrow.

Many miles away the elderly headmaster of Hogwarts was finally sitting down to a hot cup of tea. While he regretted not being as forthcoming with the Potters and the Longbottoms, he rationed that it was for the greater good. After all these years he knew best after all. Just look at what had happened with Gellert. Yes, it was better if Dumbledore controlled the amount of information getting out to the people. He finished his tea and headed to bed thinking of how to best control the Potters. Their family fortune and contacts could be very valuable to the little group he was forming. He would have to formally request a meeting with James Potter. The poor lad didn't even know of some powers he had at his exposal.

The next day was busy. The Potters had a lengthy discussion about where to stay. After much conversation and even more arguing James and Lily decided that they would stay at the cottage until Christmas. Harry would be almost a year and a half so the transition would be a little easier. Also they could have the holidays with their friends turned family and not have to compromise the manor. While their friends Sirius and Remus would obviously know about the manor, and the Longbottoms would obviously have an idea being an older family as well, everyone else would just think the Potters had up and disappeared. Returning to work after Harry turned a year would be out of the question but their family's safety was absolutely the priority. So, both James Lily sent letters with a manor owl to their respective employers saying that they were not going to be returning for the foreseeable future. After a busy morning getting affairs in order they readied for the return to the cottage for a meeting Frank, Alice, Sirius and Remus. They had not received a reply from Peter but they weren't surprised. His mother hadn't been doing well last they heard so it was probable that he would be busy with her for a while.

The Longbottoms arrived first with little Neville. Lily got them settled in and the boys playing as Sirius and Remus arrived. Once everyone had a cup of tea and was comfortable, James began to go over what they had been thinking and doing since Dumbledore's ominous late night warning. James explained some of the Potter family's more obscure procedures and fail safes in the worst possible scenario. The Longbottoms were shocked but not so much so that they didn't realize that this was helpful to both boys. Longbottom house was a protected house under the Potter Family traditions that James was calling on so it was definitely a benefit for them. As long as Neville grew up understanding what was to be expected of him then it shouldn't be a problem. The boys being friends also helped situation immensely. It would be different if it were a family like the Weasleys. Both Lily and Alice had tried to set up play dates with the youngest boy Ron but he was a mean spirited little child. After he had hit Neville for the fourth time both mothers had left without a backwards glance.

The Potters also discussed how they would like to stay at the cottage until after the holidays. Starting in the New Year they would move to the Manor and take up permanent residence there until further notice. They invited the others to join them at Potter Manor. The only catch was that nobody would be able to work if they lived at the manor. The Longbottoms declined citing the Lady Longbottom's desire for them to move home to Longbottom Hall for the duration of the war. They were waiting until just before the start of the holidays before making the move. However, Sirius and Remus both accepted knowing that it would be the safest option during this struggle. Until then Sirius wanted to ask Dumbledore about putting up a new experimental charm called the Fidelius around the cottage. No sense in not taking precautions before the move as nobody relished Christmas being interrupted by an attack. With all the hard stuff hashed out the group decided to meet up on the boys birthday weekend for a small party.

The boys' birthday party went without a hitch as far as the little group was considered, however, as far as Dumbledore had been concerned it was an unmitigated disaster. He was planning on meeting the Potters tomorrow to put the Fidelius on the cottage and as far as he was concerned that was the worst thing that could happen right now. After all as long as they couldn't be found then the prophecy couldn't be fulfilled and more people would die. Dumbledore had no doubt that the prophecy was talking about the Potter child. While the Longbottom boy was strong he wasn't in the league that Harry was. What was one boys sacrifice compared to multiple lives? The Potters were young and would have many more children. He would just have to see about compromising this new charm that Black had found. It was a new and experimental charm. There were bound to be problems.

The next day Dumbledore arrived at the cottage and was surprised to see quite the group gathered. The Longbottoms, Lupin, Black, the Potters, and the tagalong… Petty? No Pettigrew was his name. He seemed jumpy and nervous around Dumbledore. Pettigrew greeted him and didn't realize until too late to not look him in the eye. In that split second Dumbledore saw the initiation for becoming a Death Eater and saw that Peter had found a bigger protector than James Potter. With that Dumbledore broke into a smile and formed in a split second a plan.

"James, Lily I have been thinking about this charm. I think it will be a great protection for you but I think that once word gets out that your cottage has disappeared that people will begin to suspect Sirius. Maybe we could make it another of your friends. Remus is out obviously because of his affliction. I am not sure how a Light spell like this will react to his lycanthropy. Do you have another candidate?" Dumbledore asked innocently.

"Peter would you be willing?" James asked, "If only because with your mother being sick you wouldn't be coming over that much and the charm works better if the secret keeper isn't in the protected domain for very long or very often".

Peter smiled and agreed to be the Potter's secret keeper. Dumbledore performed the spell and as he sat down to a cup of tea in his office an hour later he couldn't help but think about how everything had come into place just so. Soon Tom would attack the Potters and little Harry would die but what was one life in comparison to thousands? Why should one little boy's life be worth more than the lives of many people? Fawkes watched sadly as his oldest friend began his descent into evil.

The birthday party at the cottage went off without a hitch on the morning of July 31st. With Neville's birthday the day before they decided to celebrate on Harry's birthday and have a cake for each of the boys so as to not to have either of the boys feel left out. The boys had fun and made a mess of their clothes with the icing from the cake so James and Frank decided to help their wives out and gave the boys a bath. Both mothers thought there was probably more water on the floor than in the tube in the end but the rooms were filled with the laughter of the boys. After the bath the families cleaned up the rest of the party mess and said their goodbyes. Little did they know that it was going to be one the last times they would be able to get together like this. Al because of one fateful night at the end of October…

Lily Potter smiled as she got her son ready for bed. It had been Harry's second Halloween but the first where he actually got to enjoy the holiday. Somehow Lily had convinced James to go into the village where other children were trick-or-treating. James head been a little reluctant to participate in the Muggle holiday but Lily had been insistent. If James was going to use the Potter family legacy then Lily was going to ensure, as long as she could, that her son understood the Muggle heritage he had as well. Singing a little lullaby and turning out the light, Lily was thinking of her son's future and how he may be better off with a little sister to help him out. Her smile got wider as she came down the stairs and saw that James had gotten out a bottle of wine and lit some candles. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was thinking along the lines of a Potter sibling.

James smiled at his wife and thought that they only had to make it until Christmas and then they could ride out this was in the safety of Potter manor. He had the elves working around the clock making it as comfortable as possible. They were laying provisions and making it more Muggle friendly for Lily. He had a few surprises for Christmas that he couldn't wait to show her. Hopefully the elves would be done soon; he told them to notify him as soon as they were so that he could inspect the manor. As he poured his wife a glass of wine he wondered when they would be able to give little Harry a little sister. His train of thought was never voiced because at that moment there was an explosion that rocked the house.

"Lily it's him! Take Harry and run! Quickly go to the manor and I will hold him off!" James shouted at his wife. Lily looked at her husband with wide eyes for a few moments trying to convey how much she loved him and then turned to run up the stairs to Harry's room. When she got there she quickly gathered her sons things.

"Milly!" Lily shouted.

The house-elf appeared and took one look at Lily's horrified face before popping away with a cry of "Master James!"

Lily was panicked. She didn't get a chance to meet any other elves at the manor so she was stuck. She had been hoping Milly would pop away with Harry and she could help James fight. Now she could only barricade the door and hope for the best. So that's exactly what she did. A quick colloportus and a personal charm she had been developing for work, Lily gathered her strength and took her stance in front of Harry's crib. She was as prepared as she was going to be.

It was a war zone downstairs when Milly popped in. She saw Master James on the floor trying to keep his shield up as Voldemort bombarded it with magic. She quickly threw some elf magic at the evil wizard and ran to her master's side. She grabbed Master James' hand and popped him to the manor. She called one of the other elves and told them to tend to him and then moved to pop back for the Mistress and little Master. But some evil magic was blocking her. Milly quickly realized she would have to pop back as close as possible and break down the wards before she could get them away safely; so away she went.

While Milly was working on the wards, Lily was fighting her own battle at the cottage. Voldemort was attempting to overcome her personal ward that she had put up and as it drew directly from her magical reserves it was taxing her. She knew that she would not be able to keep it up much longer. She had a decision to make. There was an experimental ward that she could place on her son but it would cause the barrier ward on the door to fail and the trigger would mean her death. Lily only had a split second to decide if she had enough magic left in her to put the ward on Harry. After a moment of indecision she flourished her wand over Harry and began the long chant. Thank goodness it was a silent casting because no sooner did she start than she felt the barrier begin to fall on the door. She had mere seconds…

"Step away girl, and I just might let you live," an angry voice hissed from the doorway.

"Please! He is just a baby! Take me instead. Please!" Lily pleaded with the man, hoping to appeal to any humanity he may have had left.

"Step aside girl or I will kill you where you stand!" the man raged.

"Then you will have to kill me. I will not leave my son!" Lily Potter shouted back as she turned to face her son and finish the ward by kissing him on the forehead and pushing her very life magic into it. She felt the impact of the killing curse and then nothing.

"Such a waste. Oh well. Let me have a look at this supposed savior," Voldemort hissed.

As Voldemort looked into the crib at the toddler he wasn't aware of the magic that had been invoked by Lily Potter. After all what kind of power hungry killer cares to research or understand sacrificial magic? If Voldemort had looked at this type of magic and if he had truly understood the power behind being a truly Ancient and Noble Family such as the Potters, maybe just maybe he wouldn't have attempted to kill its scion this Halloween night. But he hadn't researched and so he did attempt to kill little Harry Potter. It was a bright flash of green light that lit up the sky right as Milly the house-elf brought down the final ward at Godric's Hollow. The fear was strong in her heart as she popped to the nursery.

There was the mistress and Milly hurried to check her but she had already gone to the next life. Closing the Mistress' eyes, Milly turned to the crib that housed the quiet little Master. Fearing the worst, Milly took a deep breath and checked to see if the little one had survived. With a happy cry, Milly gathered the little master and took a final look around the room.

"Billy! Minnie!" Milly called out sharply.

"Yes, Milly? What can we do for you?" the elves popped in asking.

"Clean the house for the Masters. Cleanse this room and seal up the house. Put up the elfish wards. We need to protect the Potter family as we always have. This little Master is important. I know you can feel the bad mans magic is still in the air. He will come back for the little Master. I don't know when I just know. I know because… because I have invoked the protections of the Family," Milly finished telling her seconds in command.

Billy and Minnie gasped in surprise. There were stories of elves who invoked the protections of the Family back in the days of 'olde magick' when wizards and witches learned magic from their mothers and fathers. Before the elves were the dregs of society; before the Great Rift. Billy and Minnie did not know of any elf that had lived to tell the tale of the Family Magic. They only knew that Milly had staked her life on the young Master. They bowed deeply to show Milly the respect she deserved for her dedication to the Potter Family. They popped away to carry out her orders as Milly took the little Master back to the Manor.


	2. Chapter 2: To Defeat a Dark Lord

I just wanted to add a pesky author's note. More will be explained in this chapter and the ones following about the legacy that James called forth to give his son what he thought he needed. Just remember that right before I mentioned it James was talking about politics and how he should take up the family mantle. That might help a few of you with your questions. That being said, in this chapter you will see how James plan MIGHT be derailed a little bit but we won't know... Well YOU won't know until I post the next chapter how it will start to play out. Also, I tried to make Milly the house elf speak the Dobby but in ok honesty it's harder to do than proper English so is rapped that idea I this chapter and any following since she has so much screen time. Final thought- Please forgive me but I can't help myself when it comes to the cliches. I try but then I type it that way in my sleep. If you don't like it, please show yourself to the back button on your browser. Thank you ✌️

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

James Potter slowly regained consciousness. Slowly reaching around he looked for his glasses. Putting them on he realized he had to be at the manor. The last thing he remembered was Milly showing up at the Cottage… The Cottage! Lily and Harry? Where were they? Were they okay? He had to find out.

"Milly!" James shouted.

POP! "Yes, Master James?" Milly asked.

"Milly please tell me you were able to get back after you brought me here. How are Lily and Harry? Where are they?" James asked.

"Master James I tried to go back immediately after popping you here. But the evil one had put up more wards after I left with you. I took down the wards as fast as possible but by the time I was done it was over. I pooped into the nursery only to find Master Harry alive. Mistress Lily was dead but also completely drained of magic. Even her life magic…" Milly finished puzzled.

"So it worked did it?" James muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me Master, but what worked?" Milly asked.

James responded quietly, "Lily was working on a major ward in addition to the little ones at work before Harry was born. The idea was to imbue a kiss of true unconditional love with all of your magic to create a barrier around a live subject. The reason it was so difficult was because while all the math and research was sound it was impossible to test. The Department thought it was a waste of time and funds but Lily was determined to make it work. I'm assuming he left her no choice but to try it. My smart little firebrand… Milly you have retrieved her body and have begun the preparations befitting the Mistress of the house?"

"Yes, Master I have. I also have to tell you something Master. I hope that it is not going to upset you further," Milly replied looking down.

"Go ahead Milly," James ordered.

"I have invoked the Family Protection of Olde," Milly whispered.

"What?!" James exclaimed.

"I could feel the Kiss of Fate on the young Master, Milord. I knew that you had called upon the Potter Family's legacy to protect him should the worst happen but I also knew that it was important for Master Harry to have an additional edge. Tying him to my family will certainly give him that. The Potter family has protected me and mine since the Great Rift. The late Mistress' family had long ago shown their kindness to my kind. Mistress Lily was the result of a curse long ago running its course. That's why she was so powerful. Master Harry inherited from both of you enough of my ancestors before the Rift to receive the gift and all of its gifts with only a few of its curses," Milly explained.

"And what of those curses, Milly? How will they affect Harry's future? My gods, how will they interact with the Potter Family legacy?" James asked worried about what they had both inadvertently brought upon his son.

"I believe that it has created a unique situation and the Potter Family legacy has actually helped to alleviate most of the usual curses that would have come with this gift. Even now Master Harry's core is growing. I believe his human core is growing to accommodate not only Mistress Lily's magic that she gifted him, but also that of the evil man. It seems the Elf magic helped to protect Master Harry from the backlash after destroying Voldemort. Not only did it protect him but also it sapped the remaining magic from whatever was left of him. However, as it protected Master Harry it has caused some minor physical changes. His ears have become like those of my ancestors and his facial features have become more like Mistress Lily's. I believe that he will age similar to a Veela. Very young looking until he hits puberty then accelerated until early twenties stopping completely at his Mid-twenties. Yes, that is the biggest curse. Granted this is all speculation at this point but Master Harry seems to have become immortal because of my interfering. I understand if you wish to set me free because of this. I have prepared Billy and Minnie to take over in the care of the manor and its occupants and in the training of Master Harry," Milly explained solemnly. She simply stood there waiting for her Master's judgment.

"Milly," James said simply while shaking his head. He slowly got up from the bed and came to stand before the elf. Surprising Milly, James fell to his knees with tears streaming down his face. Milly's eyes widened at the display and as she was unprepared for James gathering her into his arms in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Milly thank you! You have no idea how thankful I am for you. I understand that this is all speculation only a few hours after this tragic accident. Please know that you are to never think of this as a bad thing. From now on I want your sole purpose to be helping me raise Harry. There are obviously going to be elf things that you are going to have to teach him. For now if you could just bring him here I would like to have him close tonight. We will learn as we go. Tonight has been draining and tomorrow will be very busy. Because I have also enacted the Potter Family legacy I must see to it that we begin this the right way," James ordered as he released the little elf and stood up. He slowly walked back to the bed as Milly sniffed and nodded. She popped away and back quickly with Master Harry. Giving him to his father she watched them both for a few minutes after she turned down the lights and nodded in satisfaction when she saw Master James fall asleep. She quietly popped away to the kitchens to have a quick meeting with the staff. The Manor would soon be very busy and preparations had to be made.

"Attention all Potter elves! Attention! Both Masters are sleeping. We elves have many preparations to make. First things first is that Master James has made been made aware of the Protection I have invoked. I am now Master Harry's Elf Mother. Therefore, Billy and Minnie will take over the day-to-day running of the manor. Major preparations will go through Master James or at the least through me until Master Harry comes of the appropriate age. For now I want Mimsy, Whimsy, and Flip to ready the East wing. The Potter Family legacy has been invoked. Master James intends to begin tomorrow but we will save him some time. Those of you assigned to the in-law and widow houses get your staff busy. The dark one may be gone for now but he will return and we must be ready to protect our family," Milly ordered. The elves all popped away to do her bidding and Milly looked to Billy and Minnie.

"Which one of you would like to be recognized as Head House- Elf?" Milly asked.

Billy and Minnie looked at each other for a few moments. Billy stepped forward and nodded solemnly at Milly.

"Very well. Minnie you will be second in command to both of us still. Master Harry will call on me first and if I am busy he will call for you. For now I want you to go to the Elders at Hogwarts and the other Faithful family's manors. Ask them if they could please gather all the information they have on the possible curses that come with the Protection. Billy you have been my second for long enough to know what you have to do as Head. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask," Milly ordered her subordinates. With the last of the business taken care of Milly quietly popped back to Master James' suite and sat in the corner to begin her watch over her charges. The night was finally winding down.

"Milly please! I have to get things done today," James exclaimed as he floated a foot and a half over the bed.

"Master James the healer said to stay in bed this morning while the potions finish fixing your injuries. A couple of hours are fine. Besides I already have the other elves beginning preparations," Milly answered him calmly as she lowered him back down to the bed.

"Already? Well I suppose I could eat first and then get up," James conceded. He really just wanted to stay busy so he didn't have to think about his Lily Flower. If he stopped he might never get going again.

Milly nodded and called for Master James' breakfast. A kitchen elf delivered it and Milly proceeded to tell Master James of her orders to the other elves last night. He nodded in approval and only asked that she bring him parchment and a self-inking quill so that he may get started on his letters. Milly eyeballed him for a minute before nodding. After all one had to pick their battles and as long as he stayed in bed while he wrote she could accept some work while he finished healing.

James received his parchment and proceeded to make his list:

Take care of Lily's funeral arrangements

Check on Harry and set up his room

Contact Gringotts about Lily's will and update my own

Contact Longbottoms, Sirius, and Remus

Begin initial contact and negotiations with the Bones and Callaghan families

Send letter to Amelia Bones in her capacity as director of the DMLE about Peter

Take over officially as Head of Potter Family

James nodded pleased with the beginnings of a plan. He started on the letter he would be sending to Gringotts. Writing Gobbledegook always gave him a headache so he should get that one out of the way first.

It seemed fitting that it was raining today of all days. Daddy was crying and he couldn't see Mummy anymore. They had moved her into the little house and closed the door. Harry didn't understand but he really wanted his mummy. He hadn't seen her since she came in and kissed him in front of the evil man. Why didn't she come out of the house when he cried out for her? Mummy always came when he called. She loved when he called out 'Mama'. Why was everybody crying?

James appeared suddenly on a tree-lined lane in the middle of nowhere. At least that is how it appeared. He began walking north until the air seemed to shimmer for a moment until all of a sudden a large manor came into view. Small castle may be a more appropriate description of Longbottom Hall. The Longbottoms had been fighters and warriors since the Time Before Time. Like the Potter family the Longbottoms could trace their heritage back to before modern day recordings of family history. In fact the Longbottoms were often credited with the idea of keeping records of who owed whom money or other debts. Its how they originally became so wealthy. But they still recognized their beginnings as warriors… warriors who fought for their lord and their lord's family- the Potters.

While the Potters had never looked down on their people they did acknowledge that the people owed them a debt. This became even more important later on when the witch hunting had started. Not many knew that other families trying to steal some of the Potter's Family legacy started the hunts. The solution these evil families came up with was to kill all the protected people. The Lord Potter at the time had come down like a sword of flame and defeated his enemies but not before the Longbottoms had achieved the honor of becoming the hands of the Potter Family. This was an oath that gave the Longbottom family power and status. They led the army in the name of Potter and in return the Potter family afforded them the highest respect, rank, and reciprocated the favor of fighting for their honor. This was an ancient oath and one that James was calling in and reaffirming.

James looked down at the sleeping Harry and shook his head. Harry had been sleeping much more ever since that night. Milly said it was normal for a little one with so much power to acclimate but James still worried. Milly had told him that she was researching as much as she could about the Protection but so far nothing concrete. They could only hope and guess.

James' trail of thought faded as he came upon the large double doors and knocked. The doors creaked open to reveal an ancient house-elf.

"I am here to see your master, Elf. Tell Ladies Longbottom and Lord Longbottom that Lord Potter is here about Family Business," James ordered quietly.

"Of course my lord. Please come in and allow me to take your cloak," the elf replied with a bow.

James removed his cloak revealing Harry and the old elf gasped as he caught sight of the boy.

"He is the one sir? The one all the elves are talking about?" the old elf asked.

"Yes, Elf. But this is not the time or place. Fetch your masters please," James repeated firmly.

"Yes sir," the elf responded as he popped away to parts unknown.

A few moments later Frank and Alice along the Lady Longbottom entered the entrance hall and led James into the sitting room right off the hall.

"How can we help you today Lord Potter?" the Lady Longbottom asked after they had been seated and served tea.

"I am invoking the Legacy of my Family. For the first part I am calling upon the Oaths of Olde. The Longbottoms have always been our allies and most trusted friends. I would like to continue that," James answered.

"Why are you doing this now Lord Potter? The threat from Voldemort has seemingly passed," the older woman asked suspiciously.

"I have it on good authority that he isn't actually dead. Just heavily wounded and he will find a way to return sooner or later," James informed the group.

"And what of your son? Have you thought of what this will mean for his future? Not to mention what it will mean for Neville," Lady Longbottom asked.

"The Potter Family is prepared to offer two contracts to the ladies of House Longbottom's choice if he will swear an oath of non-interference," James offered.

A few minutes passed before Lady Longbottom nodded to her children, "Very well. Alice retrieve Neville. I'm not sure if he needs to be in the room for this but better safe than sorry. Frank I cannot do this for you. This is a sign, I believe, that it is time for you to take up the helm as it were. Therefore, I Lady Longbottom of Longbottom call upon you Frank Longbottom of Longbottom to accept your birthright and all that it entails. Do you accept your duties at this time my son?"

"I Frank Longbottom of Longbottom do solemnly accept my birthright and all that it entails. I take these duties upon myself at this time," Frank accepted the ring his mother had held outstretched to him. Alice reappeared with little Neville just in time to see Frank slip the ring on.

Frank nodded to his wife first then his mother before turning to James and offering his oath of fealty, along with that of his family. It was short order to exchange the oaths that had bonded their families for always and then Harry and James were on their way back home. The Longbottoms would retain their manor but Frank, Alice, and Neville would be filling the Hands' residence on the Potter land within days. It was time to get the ball rolling as it were. After all nobody knew how much time the boys would have before Voldemort returned.


	3. Chapter 3: In Which Sirius has a Drink

Little Harry Potter hurried as fast as his five-year-old legs would take him. He was running very late. His father would not be pleased if he missed the arrival of their newest allies from France. The Delacours held a lot of political power in France and it was always a good thing to have more powerful people in your corner. Harry didn't understand all of what his father had been doing for the last four years but what he did understand was that with the arrival of a new ally he would get a new playmate!

000000000000000000000000000000

While Harry was hurrying into the entrance hall James Potter was looking over some last minute preparations before the Delacours arrived. The last four years had been busy. Sirius and Remus lived here at the Manor and were his seconds in command. Shortly after his meeting with the Longbottoms that first week after the attack, James had approached the Bones, Li, and Callaghan families. When he invoked the oaths their families had originally sworn to the Potters he offered the protection at his family home. Each family would move onto Potter land and the only payment required would be their first born daughter as the olde oaths stated. This really wasn't a bad choice for the families James contacted because they only had daughters and this would allow their names to continue only with better protection. It had only grown from there. James spent the first year after the attack calling on the Bones, Callaghan, and Longbottom families that owed their allegiance to the Potters and calling those debts in. Now the land was teeming with children and their families. The children all attended classes together and they were taught by some of the parents and a few tutors.

The second year was a mess for James. He spent much of it drunk finally letting himself mourn his wife. Sirius and Remus had thankfully stepped up and taken care of Harry and continued James' work on behalf of the Family. There was finally an intervention where Milly, Amelia Bones, Sirius, Remus, Andromeda Tonks (Sirius' cousin), and Mary Callaghan had sat him down and informed how much he was missing with Harry due to his drinking. James realized they were right and he pushed himself to get sober. The third year was better and James began to get laws passed to prepare the greater wizarding society for the future. One law in particular was to introduce Muggleborn students to wizarding society earlier in life. This allowed the Muggle parents and Muggleborns time to learn about the wizarding society so that there was less friction with the older families. After- all, the biggest problem for the less radical of the older families was that the traditions of their families were being lost to progress with the increased influx of Muggleborn students. James understood this and yet Lily had shown him the benefits of embracing some of the modern conventions. James Potter pushed laws that would combine all the traditions of the past with all the benefits of the future.

James shook the memories from his head and made his way down the stairs into the entrance hall. There he saw his son fidgeting in dark green robes. The sight brought a smile to his face. Harry didn't understand or even realize that he was gaining another potential wife here today. He was just excited for a new playmate. James often wondered if Harry would resent him later on in life for what he had done. Hopefully one day he would be able to explain why and hopefully Harry would forgive him.

000000000000000000000000000

The fireplace turned green and emitted a puff of ash as a tall figure stepped out. As the figure straightened his robes Harry took a better look at the man. He was shorter than he expected. Harry's dad James always talked about this man as if he was ten feet tall. The man had ice blue robes on and carried himself with an air of class. The man quickly turned to face the fireplace and soon helped a small figure out of the grate. When the man moved enough that harry could see the person behind him, Harry felt all the breath get knocked out of his chest. It was another girl! Harry's face must have shown his displeasure because his father gently tapped the back of his head. Harry looked up at his father and saw an expression of disappointment. Harry quickly schooled his face into a polite smile. It wouldn't do to displease his father. It was with that thought most prevalent that Harry stepped forward to offer his hand to the man and his daughter.

"How do you do, sir?" Harry asked politely, "My name is Harry Potter of Potter."

"Very well, thank you Harry. My name is Eugene Delacour of France. Your father has spoken very highly of you. This is my daughter Fleur," the man responded pleasantly as he pulled his daughter into the conversation.

"How do you do miss?" Harry greeted with a short bow.

"Fine thank you," the girl replied with a thick French accent.

"Harry why don't you take Fleur up to the Winter Room in your wing and have Winnie settle her in. Fleur if you feel up to it you may have Harry show you the classrooms and introduce you to the rest of the children," James said with a nod to Eugene. They had business to discuss and paperwork to sign and it would go faster if the children were out of the way.

Harry replied, "Yes father," and led Fleur up the main stairs giving her a running commentary about the house and its occupants.

"Are you sure you want to do the entire contract now Eugene? We can wait and see if they are more compatible," James asked.

"I have a good feeling about this James," Eugene answered, "My heart is telling me that we need to seal this up tight. My girl is a few years older yes but I do not want her to develop too much of an ego. She is as beautiful as her mother is and that will become a problem later in life if I do not nip it in the bud. At least this way her heart is protected at all costs. That being said I am entrusting you with the care of my precious daughter. Is everything we agreed to still on?"

"I am pushing for you to become the French Ambassador to England. This will afford you a residence here on the property and put you in line to take over the French Ministry in five or six years. As for the bride price, I am happy with the agreed upon amount although it is rather low for a first born," James said with a frown.

"I know how your English counterparts like to work. They would not respect you if you paid too much for a 'half-breed'. This is the political game we must all play for a few more years, my friend. Soon we will be able to effect real change and then you can send me two cases of this brandy I have heard so much about," Eugene replied with a laugh and an outstretched hand.

The men shook and proceeded to search for the children.

0000000000000000000000000

"So the Potter family has been around for a very long time. I have the entire East wing under my control but we have a few others living over here with us. One of them is named Marina Callaghan. She is my best friend besides Neville but he has the House in the Hills in the southwest corner of the Estate. Marina's parents live in a cottage in the northeast corner six months out of the year and in their family home the rest of the year. We also have Susan Bones in residence full time except she is visiting her aunt for a few weeks this summer. Her parents live in Bones Keep but have a small manor on location as well but it's unused except for holidays. The Li family visits but Su won't live here until we start Hogwarts. But other than that it's just us. Our classrooms are located on this level along with our dining room, the library, and a few other useless rooms," Harry stopped at the first landing momentarily before climbing again.

"What is the Winter room?" Fleur asked.

"It is the suite where you will be staying. It's just right here," Harry said as he stopped on the third floor and went down a long hallway. As they passed a bright red door that was cracked open a fraction, Fleur caught a glimpse of a large room and a girl with dark auburn hair lounging on a couch. Her snooping was almost caught when Harry stopped suddenly and opened a door on her left. Fleur took a look around and gasped.

"This is the Winter room Fleur. We hope you will be very happy here," Harry said nervously as he pushed open the pale blue door.

Fleur couldn't believe her eyes. It was beautiful bedroom done in the palest blues, golds, and creams. It was a fairytale come true. A large canopied princess style bed with matching desk adorned a fraction of the room only. There was a sitting area with a large fireplace as the focus and a breakfast nook right next to the windows that looked like they might open to a balcony. Fleur was so enthralled with the room she was startled when she heard Harry speak.

"Winnie!" Harry called softly.

"Yes Master Harry?" the elf in question asked as she popped into the room.

"Winnie this is to be your new charge. She will be occupying this suite for however long she wishes. Please prepare one of the younger girls to be her handmaiden so that you don't get too overwhelmed taking care both her and Marina. It will be good practice for them yes?" Harry asked with a smile.

"You are being ornery today Master Harry. I will have Irina prepared begin to unpack the trunks for the new Miss shall I?" Winnie responded with a lightly chiding tone.

"That would be amazing thank you Winnie. If my father or Mr. Delacour come looking for us please inform them we are heading to tour the common areas," Harry said as he gently took Fleur's elbow and led her back down the stairs.

0000000000000000000000000

James and Eugene were quickly pointed in the right direction thanks to Winnie and found the children in the East wings sitting room laughing and talking with Neville and Marina.

"Papa! You simply must see the room they have given me. It is absolutely beautiful!" Fleur exclaimed when she saw her father walk into the room.

"Of course my dear we will take a good look here in a minute. But first I wish to talk to you in private. Do you think you can part from your new friends for just a few minutes? Lord Regent Potter has kindly given us use of a meeting room to go over a few things. If you could come with me my dear?" Eugene asked as he led his daughter away.

"Father, may my friends and I go play now? Susie comes back tonight and Neville, Marina, and I have a surprise we want to set up for her before then," Harry pleaded with his father as he gave his best innocent face, which for a five year was pretty impressive. However, he was his father's son and so James was not fooled.

"Nothing too scary Harry. We wouldn't want a repeat of last month would we?" James warned with a pointed look to the three accomplices.

With a nod in the affirmative the three youngsters took off for the upper floors to prepare their prank. James nodded to himself and couldn't help but be happy with his decision to help Harry grow up a little faster and yet still be a child. It was unfortunate but Harry had to be prepared for the inevitable. One day he would go to Hogwarts and he had to be ready for Dumbledore. Not to mention the return of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. While James hoped that was many, many years into the future he had to be realistic. With that thought James returned to his office to look over some dossiers to determine the next family to approach. Harry had to have as many advantages as he could and if that meant expanding their little family then that was what James was going to do.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A few doors down from James, Eugene Delacour was having a conversation with his oldest daughter about her future at the Potter home.

"My daughter I have brought you in here to hopefully explain a little more about your future," Eugene hedged as he led his daughter to a comfortable sitting area within the meeting room.

"Father?" Fleur queried.

"Fleur you are going to marry into the Potter family one day. Whether it is as Head Wife or not is up to you and Harry. On the day of Harry's thirteenth birthday, the current Lord Potter will abdicate his position and Harry will take up his mantle. At that time harry will marry the one that will be his Head Wife. Following that Harry will be taking consorts to consolidate his powers and begin his takeover. The Potters gave the power the Ministry of Magic currently holds and they will soon be taking it back. It is a duty our family promised to help them with. You will come to notice that all the women you will eventually be in marriage with are the only heirs to patriarchal families. This helps us as much as it helps the Potters. You will be allowed to bear an heir for the Delacour family. This will ensure our family name continues but it will be under the Potters power. I understand if this is not something you are happy with at this time but I hope that you will come to appreciate that I am doing what I feel is best for you. I know your mother is worried about your heritage being a problem for you in the future and this will stop that from being an issue," Eugene watched his daughter closely all through his little speech and could not guess as to what she was thinking. While it was still common in the Wizarding world to arrange marriages, the Delacours hadn't done so for many years. Not only that but this was a particularly old tradition of the Potters. The conditions set into place for multiple marriages hadn't been met in over 50 years and even then for the number to be thirteen… Eugene was impressed with James Potter's plans. He was ensuring his son had everything he needed to complete his destiny.

Fleur was young but she understood what her father was saying. While France was more advanced than their English counterparts there was still an expectation of continuing the family name. This was probably her best option for doing so. However, was she prepared for a multiple marriage situation? Was she prepared to share her husband? To add the cherry on top of this topsy-turvy sundae was she prepared to be a second third or fourth wife? How many women was this Harry Potter to have? Fleur knew that she had been brought here about a potential suitor but she had not known that it was practically a done deal. But she was a Delacour woman and a Delacour was always ready to do what had to be done for the good of the family.

"Yes, Father. I understand what you are saying and it seems like this is our best option. Hopefully, with me coming to live here I will learn to love my future husband and he, I. if not then I will take my place in his house as is expected. Will that be all papa?" the young girl replied diplomatically.

Eugene smiled slightly and nodded as if he expected nothing less. And truly he didn't. His daughter may be young but she had been raised with these ideals and understood how much it would mean to him to not have his family name die out. But he hoped that love would come for her eventually. If it did not… well then at least she would have her new sister wives to turn to.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sirius nodded to the bartender to pour him another drink. The scotch was going down easy tonight. After the day he had he truly needed it. How else do you explain to a six year old what all these girls were doing in his house? While James had given him a simple answer last year, this year had required a more in depth and exhausting answer.

This year was the year that Harry Potter learned what they had done to him. And yes while it had not been Sirius' decision, he had certainly helped. Courting the favor of some of the more grey families in the Potter name had gained more than a few allies. The Greengrass, Patil, and Davis families had now agreed to sign contracts for their oldest daughters. Harry had gained another four wives to add to his counter. Apparently the Patil twins were inseparable according to their charter. With four more brides to be invading his wing at the Manor Harry was beginning to question why all the allies his father was bringing home were female. And so James had sat him down and explained.

Sirius downed his last gulp and decided to head home. Maybe he could take Harry out tomorrow. The London zoo had a new lion cub that had just been born the other day. Harry needed a break from training, schoolwork and the manor in itself. James seemed to forget sometimes that Harry was still a child. Granted it was easy to do that when it came to Harry. The kid spoke better than half of Sirius' contemporaries. But alas he was only a child and had way too much serious business to think about. A day out in the Muggle world was just what the Healer ordered. With this final thought Sirius turned down a dark alley and popped away into the unknown.


	4. Chapter 4: The Day the Plan Changed

"Wow Sirius! Look at this!" Harry shouted as he ran to a new exhibit. Sirius smiled indulgently as he hurried to catch up to the exuberant child. James had been reluctant to let them go but Sirius had insisted. Now he was glad he had pushed for this day out. After loading the kid up on sugar Sirius had let him loose. The only proviso was to stay within eyesight of each other at all times. Harry had happily agreed and away they went. They had visited the new lion cub and the apes and now Harry was dragging him into the reptile house. While Sirius wasn't particularly fond of lizards the snakes weren't so bad. After the childhood he had he was used to them. And as Sirius pulled open the doors and felt the cool air hit him he could see the appeal of the reptile house in the summer. But luckily it wasn't too crowded. It seems that most parents weren't as comfortable with the creepy crawlers because there was only one other family in the place. The little family of three and Harry had crowded around one large piece of glass holding what looked like the longest boa constrictor Sirius had ever seen. Sirius moved closer to Harry only to hear a gentle hissing and spitting coming from his godson.

"What are you doing?" the little girl asked. She looked about Harry's age maybe a month or two younger.

"I'm asking him where he is from," Harry replied with a slight smirk.

"Boa constrictors of this breed are from Brazil. However, this one has been bred and raised in captivity," the girl answered back smartly.

"How did you know that? Can you talk to snakes too?" Harry queried, genuinely curious.

"Now Harry nobody can truly talk to snakes can they?" Sirius scoffed with a smile on his face. After all these were Muggles and the last thing they needed was the Ministry showing up for a breech of the Statute.

"But Madame McGonagall said…" Harry started before the little girl interrupted.

"No Harry. Remember what your father said this morning," Sirius whispered in his ear, hoping to remind him of the warning his father had given them before they had left the manor.

"Do not draw attention to yourselves. Don't break the Statute!" James had shouted as they walked out the door.

"Sorry Sirius. But you should know… they aren't all Muggles. The girl is like us. I can sense it," Harry mumbled back so as to not draw attention to the topic of discussion between them. But the young girl had acute hearing and caught the odd word out 'Muggle'.

"Excuse me but what do you mean by Muggle?" she asked curiously with a puzzled look on her face at the unfamiliar word.

Sirius looked at the couple and the little girl for a few moments before coming to a decision. Lily always said she wanted Harry to remember his roots were in both worlds and what better way to do that than to develop contacts in the Muggle world? James had recently gotten that law passed that allowed those of the old Families to bring Muggles in under their protection if the family in question had a Muggleborn in its midst. With that thought Sirius invited the couple to lunch at the park and that marks the beginnings of a beautiful friendship for both Harry and the girl and Sirius and the girl's parents.

000000000000000000000000000000000

"Dad hurry up! They are going to be here soon!" Harry shouted up the stairs before grabbing his broom and waiting rather impatiently at the bottom of the steps. Today was the day his best female friend was coming to the manor. After two long years of many letters and the few visits the Grangers were finally making the move onto the Manor grounds. The Grangers had actually accepted the betrothal bit better than the witch and wizard part. The only part they had yet to grasp was the multiple marriage bit. While Hermione was on board 100%, Mum and Dad Granger were still a little hesitant. Hopefully the meeting with James and Remus would go well enough that the contract would be signed by lunch today. It was a complete surprise to Sirius when Harry had brought up asking for Hermione's hand not but six months previous.

BEGIN FLASHBACK

"Sirius? Could I talk to you for a few moments?" Harry asked while shuffling his feet.

"Sure Harry. You know my door is always open for you," Sirius said as he drew open his study door all the way allowing his godson to pass into the room, "Now what can I do for you Harry?"

"I was hoping you would convince my dad to allow us to make a trip to visit the Grangers," Harry stated plainly. He truly felt that with Sirius it was better to speak simply and truthfully.

"Can I ask why? We had a visit not but two months ago and we usually don't let you venture out that much," Sirius questioned with a raised brow.

"I want to talk to the Grangers and possibly sound them out for a betrothal between myself and Hermione. I believe that she would make a fine Head Wife," Harry explained a little shyly.

"I see. Have you spoken to Hermione about this?" Sirius asked.

"While I know that typically it would be frowned upon to do so, I have explained everything as plainly as possible. She understands that she will not be the only wife but she seems to have come to terms with that. I also may have done something," Harry admitted.

"What would that be?" Sirius asked truly curious. The boy was typically very well behaved. He played a few harmless pranks but that was it.

"I performed the Phoenix Pairing Charm," Harry answered quietly.

"What?! Harry, how did you even find that charm? Bloody hell how did you get enough power to perform that charm?" Sirius shouted.

"Well you know that my power was due to start being unblocked this year. It was pretty easy to perform it after the last session with Milly on my last birthday. But Sirius when I did the spell it showed me Hermione," Harry explained.

"Really? Harry you do know that spell hasn't been used for centuries. It shows your best match based on your magical power not necessary compatibility," Sirius warned the boy.

"I know that Sirius. But Hermione and I are already compatible and I would rather have a magically powerful Head Wife. Some of the girls that father has brought to the Manor are going to be a handful and whoever is Head Wife is going to have to be strong both in will and magic. Hermione fits that bill to the nth degree. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure I love her," Harry admitted with a grin at the last.

"In that case my boy I will be sure to convince your father it would be in our best interest to approach the Grangers," Sirius promised.

"Thank you Sirius!" Harry shouted in glee before running away to compose a letter to Hermione.

END FLASHBACK

The resulting conversation between James and Sirius about approaching the Grangers for a contract was interesting. James was hesitant to invite a family in that seemingly offered little to the Potter family. But Sirius was quick to lay that fear to rest. He explained that Daniel Granger was formerly of the SAS and still had some contacts in the Muggle government and that could provide some backup if the Ministry decided to fight back against them. Not only that but the Potter coalition was seriously lacking in the medical training department and both of the Grangers could provide some minimal training in that. Yes they were dentists and therefore wouldn't be performing open heart surgery but they could stave off death in the event of an accident long enough to get a healer here or the injured party to St. Mungos.

James had been reluctant still until Harry snuck into the room and asked what Lily would have wanted. James agreed almost immediately after that. There was little he could deny to his son, whom shared Lily's beautiful eyes, when he invoked his mother's name. Not to mention that James still felt awful for the year he spent in a drunken haze. It had been unfair to Harry to break down like that. Maybe when Harry was older James could try and explain why it had hurt so bad.

000000000000000000000000000000000000

Hermione Granger was completely silent for the first time in her life on the drive up to the Manor of her future husband. Future husband sounded so odd to her ears. But she supposed she should get used to it. After all she was entering a world that was a century or more behind the world she had grownup in and she had to accept that if she wanted to belong. The last couple of years had been a real eye opener for the young scholar. Normally Hermione would have attacked any perceived injustice with a burning vengeance but it had taken three letters from Harry to dissuade her of that notion when it came to the Wizarding world.

Harry wouldn't admit it to his father or godfathers but the protection Milly had cast on him as a baby had caused his magic to go a little crazy. They had put a few blocks on him to contain it and make sure it didn't harm his body but what they hadn't thought of was his mind. The magic needed an outlet and chose Harry's mind. In reality Harry was much older mentally than eight years old. Not that Harry wasn't a child, but his mind was able to comprehend larger concepts than any of the adults in the house were aware. Although Harry was pretty sure Milly suspected after she found him reading some of the more advanced books one day. But Harry had found a kindred spirit in Hermione. While Hermione's mind was that of a certified genius Harry's was artificial to a certain degree. But this allowed them to communicate on a level higher than most of their contemporaries. This also allowed them to discuss and plan for Harry's future. They were sure they loved each other and didn't want that feeling to be pushed by the wayside due to the future Harry's family had planned for him. Therefore Harry had explained and asked Hermione to leave behind pretty much everything she knew to take a chance on a betrothal. It had been a hard sell to her parents but Hermione thought it would be worth it. Even if their feelings didn't work out, Hermione knew they would always be friends and it would protect her parents. To Hermione that wasn't too much of a sacrifice to ensure the continued happiness of the Granger parents.

But Hermione's thoughts were cut off as they came around another bend to a beautiful sight. There in front of her was the largest house Hermione had ever seen. Well… besides Buckingham Palace that is. But even that was pretty close. The manor home of the Potter family was huge! Hermione now could put her thoughts and Harry's letters into some context. The excitement began to bubble through as the Granger's car came to a complete stop at the bottom of the front steps. No sooner had the car been put in park than Hermione was throwing open her door and running to meet Harry who, judging by his running down the steps, was just as excited. The two friends, and maybe more, met in the middle on the first landing and hugged as if their very lives depended on it. The elder Grangers got out of the car smiling and went to greet Sirius and to meet James Potter for the first time. Hopefully this meeting would go as smoothly as possible for Hermione's sake. The Grangers so hated to disappoint their daughter.

"My daughter will not be a part of some boys harem!" Daniel Granger shouted.

"Mr. Potter- James you have to see how this all looks to us. Two years ago we had a chance meeting with Sirius and Harry at the zoo and now you are telling us that you want to us to essentially sign our daughter over to you and your son. This is simply not done anymore, at least on our side of the fence. We had almost come to terms with that and then you spring this multiple marriage bit on us and I have to say no! My daughter deserves a husband that will love her and be faithful. How can Harry do that if he has to schedule time for his twelve other wives?" Eva Granger tried to instill some semblance of peace back into the meeting but it wasn't easy. She was pretty sure that Dan wanted to put both Granger girls over his shoulders and carry them out of this large house caveman style.

"Enough!" a loud and commanding yet squeaky voice yelled.

"Milly?" Sirius questioned when he saw who had yelled. A pushy house elf? Since when?

"You are all arguing as if you have a choice. The Master and Mistress have started the bonding process and nothing you all say will change that. Not only that but the Mistress will need all the help she can get. There is no way for the Mistress to have enough babies to accommodate the Potter charter. Not now that Master James has called upon the olde ways of the Family. And then there is the matter of all the extra magic that the Master is trying to accommodate. It has caused some changes that we did not anticipate. Master Harry is more Elf like in his physical stature. He will not get tired as you humans do after you have intercourse. It is a matter of self preservation for the new Mistress to allow others into their marriage bed," Milly explained.

"Are you telling me that the boy is super horny?" Dan yelled, "That's not a good enough reason for us to involve ourselves or our daughter!"

"Did you not hear Milly Dan?" Eva whispered.

"What?" Dan asked, a little alarmed at the ashen face of his wife.

"Milly please explain more about this bond," Eva pleaded to the little elf.

"Master Harry has been reading too much again and came upon a charm called the Phoenix Pairing Charm. You see phoenixes mate for life based on who will provide the best offspring and this spell was once used to show the best magical match for witches and wizards. Now this spell alone wasn't enough to cause a small bond to form but Master Harry believes that Hermione and him are meant to be and his magic is forcing a bond. Mistress' magic is accepting it though, so there isn't much we can do at this point. Now don't misunderstand this isn't a soul bond nor will it give them any special powers. It is merely a mingling of magic. The most they will be able to do many years into the future is draw upon each other's magic in dire situations. This shouldn't be possible until they are much, much older. However, to separate them now may leave their magic unstable. Think of it like your electricity. You wouldn't leave live wires just sticking out in the middle of the wall. Their magic has fused and to separate them now would release the potential for Harry's and to a lesser extent Hermione's power to lash out," Milly explained as simply as possible for the humans.

"What does this mean for us if we sign your blasted contract?" Dan sighed in defeat.

"Basically it would make the Granger house a vassal family to the Potters. This would offer you the highest protection in the Magical world. Since you would be the parents of the Head Wife you would have two options for living arrangements. The Potters would require Hermione to live in her rightful quarters here in the Manor. You would have the option of the in-law suite here at the manor or the west widow Manor. It is only a ten-minute walk from the main house and is quite spacious. You would have a retinue of three elves all to yourselves. We could have a private Floo connection set up to your offices in London so you could have the protections of living here and still be able to work," James explained, "It would be most beneficial to Hermione of course. She will become the Mistress of the Manor officially on Harry's thirteenth birthday when they wed. However, the elves will all see her as Mistress already. The Potters would pay for any and all educational needs and would also contract tutors to begin her education as Head Wife to the Family. Madame Longbottom has already volunteered as she did for my late wife. The protection would extend to Hogwarts and Dumbledore would not be able to assume control of her as he does to most Muggleborns that step into the school."

"I guess the last thing to do would be to iron out a bride price right?" Eva said jokingly.

"We are prepared to pay half a million pounds into your account by tomorrow," James said with a straight face.

"Half a million…" Dan mumbled.

"I was just joking James. There is no need for that," Eva hurriedly contested.

"Actually I beg to differ Eva," Sirius stepped up to give an explanation, "This part is very important for our world. The Potters are the wealthiest family in our world and with Hermione being Muggleborn they need to make statement about how much value they put on her. With a bride price like that there will be no doubt that she is priority one."

"I need a scotch," Dan said as he fell back into his chair. No sooner had the words left his mouth than one appeared on the table right next to him with a small pop. A surprised Dan didn't hesitate and downed the drink in one go and turned to look at James and Sirius, "If you can tell me the brand of this scotch you can have your bloody contract."

"Actually Dan that is one of our Potter investments. We produce that in the distillery on the back part of the property. We used to do wine but it was too much maintenance for the elves. My father actually began to look into the idea of producing our own scotch for the magical world and so far it has been a hit. I was hoping to expand into the Muggle world but I'm worried about… Uhh how about we talk about that later because I'm pretty sure I used to have that look thrown my way from my own wife when I did something I wasn't supposed to," James finished nervously looking from Eva to Dan.

"Daniel Granger! We haven't even talked to our daughter about whether or not she would want something like this and you go ahead and say yes," an irritated Eva ranted.

"Oh mummy I'm perfectly happy with the arrangement," a young feminine voice came from behind the couch.

All the adults in the room whipped their heads around to see Harry and Hermione standing up from behind the couch.

"We are sorry for eavesdropping but we wanted to make sure that everything went as smoothly as possible," Harry began, "We sent Milly in to explain a few things when we thought it necessary. I hope we can get the contract settled now so that we can get Hermione settled in. The rooms wont open until the contract has been signed."

"Then you can meet the rest of the natives, eh Hermione?" Sirius grinned as he began to lead the duo out the door and up the stairs. Looking back Sirius gave James and the Grangers a nod to finish the contract and leave the discussions for another time.

Hermione puttered around her quarters before her very first official magic lesson. It was still hard to believe this was all real. One day her parents were taking her to the zoo to see the new lion cub that had been in the news and the next she is becoming betrothed to a boy like in her mother's stories. At this thought Hermione's face heats up and remembers that her mother had those books hidden for a reason. They were definitely not age appropriate. But Hermione being the tenacious girl she was had sought out new reading material and found them easily. At first she was angry with her mother because she had told Hermione there was not a new book to be found in the house but after she had delved into the book she realized that there were things happening in the book that she didn't understand.

After a trip to the local library Hermione learned many new things. Things that, despite being best friends with Harry and becoming betrothed, she was not ready to share. Maybe one day… after all there were many other girls here and Harry would need some help.


End file.
